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Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Mayes, White among Ugland Camp standouts

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IRVINE, Ca. – Sunday’s fifth Hoops by Ugland (@Devin_Ugland) Skills Summit, held at Beckman High, provided a nifty platform for approximately 80 boys’ high school players to enhance their short- and long-term basketball futures.

Once more, Ugland’s tireless efforts resulted in providing quality competition and coaching, as well as an opportunity to be watched by college coaches and scouting- and media-types.

Players got two hours of skills work via rotating “stations” and lots of competitive 3-on-3 action vs. multiple groups of opponents.

After an hour break for lunch – provided by Ugland and his significantly “better half”, Chelsea Ugland, without charge – there were 12, 5-on-5, 40-minute games, enabling each athlete to play twice.

Here is my overview, minus detailed “player analysis and ratings” – I save those for my college and NBA BurlisonOnBasketball Scouting Service clients.

After all, I strongly believe in the stuff often decried as “socialism” – aka, law enforcement, fire departments, a strong military, the “safety nets” for those who need them most, etc.

But . . . I’m all in on “capitalism” – minus the “unfettered” angle or the laughable “trickle-down economics” nonsense – and believe those working their asses off to provide a service (pun intended) have a right to be compensated appropriately.

So, here we go . . .

Participants from programs whose teams could be among the Top 10 in Southern California during the 2024-25 season (in no order):

*Redondo: Six-foot-five Hudson Mayes, an all-CIF Southern Section Division I as a junior last season for the 25-5 Sea Hawks (who lost to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in a Southern Section semifinal and Damien in a State Southern Regional quarterfinal), crushed it in the 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competition, via powerful drives and pull-jump jumpers.

One of four returning starters for Coach Reggie Morris Jr., Mayes starts his “official” recruiting visits this coming weekend when he takes a trip to the University of Central Michigan.

*Crespi: The Celtics (24-8 last season, after an upset loss at Great Oak in the second round of the SS D-1 playoffs) were repped by two players here, senior forward Peyton White and junior guard Malakai Perrantes.

The 6-6 White (who had to depart before the 5-on-5 games were played) – like Mayes – was too strong and too skilled for those who tried to check him Sunday.

Perrantes averaged 4.4 ppg as a starter last season but, based upon his jump shot’s accuracy and his ability to get into the lane for high-percentage attempts Sunday, he seems up to the task of helping plug the scoring potential that was lost with the transfer of Joe Sterling to Mission League foe Harvard-Westlake.

*La Mirada: Three starters – seniors M.J. Smith (6-4) and Jaydin Cox (6-7), and junior point guard King Riley-Owens – were on hand to help show why the Matadores (21-8 last season) will challenge for a high Southern Section D-I seed or Open Division slot in the playoffs next spring.

*Eastvale Roosevelt: Of course, it would be an upset of significant proportions if the Mustangs – while returning Brayden Burries, Myles Walker and Isaac Williamson from a 31-4 team that only lost to eventual Southern Section and State Open Champion Harvard-Westlake over its final 15 games) – are in the Open playoffs in February.

Three of Coach Steve Singleton’s players were at Beckman Sunday.

Six-two Jackson Haggins a key reserve as a sophomore last season, 6-4 sophomore Andre Ray led the junior varsity in scoring and 6-3 freshman Cameron Anderson also demonstrated considerable promise.

  *Santa Margarita: The Eagles (19-11 last season) will be the teams chasing Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the Trinity League.

And two of the reasons were at Beckman Saturday – juniors Brayden Kyman (6-8) and Drew Anderson (6-7).

   *Westchester: The Comets (20-9), despite the recent loss of junior forward Christian Collins (who transferred to St. John Bosco after being enrolled at Westchester since the spring), will be favored to with the L.A. City Open title.

Another junior forward, Tajh Ariza (a teammate of Collins at St. Bernard for two seasons), is the main reason.

But two other junior transfers will be key elements in the ’24-25 Comets success and both were very good Sunday: 6-5 Jordan Ballard (via Sherman Oaks Notre Dame) and 6-2 Ty Ingram (who played in San Diego as a freshman at San Ysidro and sophomore at Cathedral Catholic).

Other standouts included:

Class of 2025: For the past few months I’ve thought that Da’Vian Brooks (pictured/Palmdale Knight) and Denis Woods (Bishop Montgomery) are two of the most under-appreciated and under-recruited guards in California.

And the efforts of the two Sunday at Beckman – in both drills and 5-on-5 competition – firmly re-enforced that notion.

You’re welcome, non-BurlisonOnBasketball subscribing college coaching staffs . . .

Among the others in this class who stood out were rapidly growing and improving, 6-11 Danny Kennard (Foothill), as well as 6-8 Jaison Joyce (a senior at Gahr after attending St. John Bosco for three years) and Craig Irons (a late-blooming 7-footer at Hart).

Class of 2026: Two point-guards on track for “breakout” junior seasons, Noa Eteuati-Edwards (9.9 ppg and 5.0 apg for an Arcadia squad that lost to Serra in a CIF SS 3AA quarterfinal) and Acen Jimenez (who started for the 30-5 La Habra club that beat St. Bonaventure in the SS 3AA finale), were outstanding in a variety of fashions Sunday.

And the only non-Californian in the bunch, 6-4 James Williams (Bishop Monague), made the long trek from Reno – by way of the most “flyer-friendly” airport in Long Beach – and showed off his considerable bounce, rebounding and shot-making aptitude.

Class of 2027: Four guys – Efe Atane (L.A. Cathedral), Tre Cradle (Sage Hill), Tylan Kinsey (Leuzinger) and Lamar Smith (San Diego) – joined Andre Ray to form a cluster of sophomores that consistently impressed me throughout the morning and afternoon.

The 6-3 Atane’s ability to shot over and drive by defenders and convert often-contested shot attempts should enable him to score consistently in double figures for Cathedral program’s new coach, Alex Lieu.

Cradle should also be a double-figure scorer  – and one of Orange County’s better sophomores – for Coach D’Cean Bryant.

Kinsey is part of a deep and gifted roster that could be the best Arturo Jones has fielded in 10 years as Leuzinger’s head coach.

And Smith, who averaged 14 ppg as a freshman, was the best “vertical athlete” – translated, “jumper” – in the camp.

Class of 2028: Coach Mike Haupt’s St. Augustine program had the best collection of freshmen in San Diego last season.

And, based upon performances of guards Kai Blue and Jace Anderson on Sunday, he’s going to have another gifted group of frosh in ’24-25.

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